


The first dog was planned

by movingsoup



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, the kind of fluff that makes your face hurt from all of the fluff, they get a bunch of dogs, they seem like the kind of people who would have three dogs and live in a nice apartment in the city
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-12 21:57:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7123978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/movingsoup/pseuds/movingsoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben and Caleb get a dog, well, three dogs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ifor

The first dog was planned.

It was the end of April, and Ben had just finished grading the pop-quiz he had given his students earlier that day. He joined Caleb on the couch, resting his head on Caleb’s chest and stretching his legs over the armrest. The TV was on, but neither of them were paying very close attention to it.  
Caleb broke the silence.

“What would you say to us getting a dog?”

Ben lifted his head up from Caleb’s chest and looked at him.

“Why would we get a dog? Have you seen our apartment? This is no place for an animal.”

“Well, I had dogs growing up and I love them, and you, and I feel like it’s the next logical step for us on the responsibility ladder.” 

“What ladder? What do ladders have to do with us getting a dog?” Ben asked quizzically, a wrinkle appearing on his forehead.

“The ladder of responsibility, not an actual ladder. You’d think they would have taught you about the difference at Yale,” Caleb grinned. “And what I mean is that we dated for four years, we moved in together, and we both got jobs we actually like, and we moved to the city, to this place, and now I feel like a dog would be the next step.”

Ben hesitated. Caleb had never talked about getting a dog, so his speech came very out of the blue. A dog was a huge responsibility, and while Ben felt they could grow into it, he wasn’t convinced they were ready right now.

“I suppose…”

“But you aren’t quite sure. Like always.” Caleb turned his eyes back to the TV. Ben felt a twinge in his stomach seeing Caleb’s disappointed expression. 

“I didn’t say that. What I meant was that this is a thing that needs to be planned a bit more than just ‘hey wanna get a dog’ on a Wednesday evening. And for the record I never said I didn’t want to get a dog.” 

Ben hoisted himself up on to his elbow so that he could look Caleb in they eyes. 

“Caleb Brewster, I want to get a dog with you.”

Caleb’s brown eyes lit up. A smile grew on his face as he leaned over to kiss Ben. 

“You know, I did think this through. I wanted to get a dog last fall when we moved here but I thought I’d wait till spring so we can get a puppy in the summer when you’ll be on vacation and home a lot.” Caleb said, breaking away from Ben’s lips, instead leaving a trail of kisses along Ben’s jawline.

“Whoever said people without college degrees aren’t smart?” Ben said with a chuckle. ”Well in that case it is settled. We are getting a dog. And there is nobody I’d rather get a dog with than you.” 

Ben kept murmuring words of affection as he moved in closer to Caleb and let his hands wander down along his body. The talking ceased when Ben’s shirt was unbuttoned and Caleb’s hands tangled in Ben’s golden hair.

The next morning neither of them said anything about the dog. Ben was his usual morning self, drinking a coffee while looking barely awake and burning his toast, while Caleb prepared both of their lunches whistling a showtune. They got ready and left for work, Ben still looking tired and uninterested in making any big life decisions. But when Caleb came home from work at the tourist boat Ben had spread three books on dog care and two about dog breeds out on the kitchen table, and was scrolling through websites on his laptop. 

“Hi, nerd” Caleb greeted. Ben looked up from his research.

“Hello to you too, lover of said nerd.”

“Don’t you know it,” Caleb winked. “Are you doing research?” 

“Yeah, I’m trying to find the perfect breed for us.” Ben sighed, pushing his hand through his hair, leaving it a tousled mess. “I assume you want to take the dog out on the boat with you sometimes, and our apartment isn’t very big so it has to be a dog that likes water but isn’t very big, and preferably one that doesn’t need constant exercise to be happy and...”

“Oh my god, will you just pick a dog that is a dog and maybe cute?” Caleb interrupted Ben, knowing this could have been a very long presentation about his research.

“I, okay, fine. I feel like maybe a corgi then?” Ben suggested, and Caleb nodded approvingly.

“Corgis are adorable, and a good size for our apartment and they can swim pretty well apparently.” Ben continued. 

“So we have decided on our future dog? ” Caleb said, wrapping his arms around Ben’s shoulder and kissing him on the cheek.  
“Yeah I guess we just did.” Ben laughs, feeling pleased.

 

The final weekend before Ben’s school let out for the summer they drove to Stamford, Connecticut to meet their puppy. Having been in contact with the kennel they have reserved a puppy that they would get to pick up in two weeks. This was just a visit to meet the breeder, the parents of their puppy, and most importantly, the puppy. Ben nervously tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while Caleb in the passenger seat telling an anecdote about a customer on the tourist boat. When Ben didn’t respond Caleb put his hand on Ben’s knee.

“Hey, are you nervous? We are going to meet a dog, not George Washington. There is no need for that.”

Ben tightened his grip of the wheel and kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road. Of course he was nervous, he had never had a dog before and felt nowhere near as prepared as he would have liked to be. They could have done some more research on dog training, or bought some of the things they would be needing when the puppy got home. Caleb always seemed so comfortable with these things, he didn’t need to feel totally confident in his abilities to be able to get the job done. Ben needed that.

“A little, I guess. I know it’s just a dog, but it’s our dog and want to be the best owner I can, and I feel so unprepared for it.”  
“You sound like you are about to have your first child. Relax. It’ll be just fine, I promise. Whenever we have kids you’re gonna have a heart attack from all your stress.” 

Caleb gave Ben’s knee a reassuring squeeze. Ben took a few deep breaths and loosened his grip. 

“It’s going to be fine, I know. Also when were you planning on talking about our potential future children with me?” Ben said, looking over at Caleb, who only smiled.

“Let’s get the dog first, we’ll talk about kids later.” 

The visit went wonderfully and their puppy was as adorable and the whole car ride back they bickered about what to name the dog. Among the rejects were anything food related (“No, Caleb, we are not naming him Kaleb, that is an absurd name for a dog.”), historical figures, (“Well is Emperor Hadrian much better, Ben, I don’t think so.”), and the obviously unsuitable names (“We can both agree Spot is out of the question. Corgis don’t even have spots.”).  
Just a few blocks from home they had finally decided to name the puppy for the breed’s Welsh heritage, and settled for Ifor, a Welsh name meaning soldier.

The next two weeks went by quickly, and the day after Ben’s summer vacation begun he drove to pick up Ifor. Ben felt bad Caleb had to work every day that week.

“I wish you could come with me. I mean it is our dog.”

“Yeah, I wish I could too, but it’s quite the drive, and besides I’ll be home a couple of hours after you, it really is fine.” Caleb said reassuringly and handed the car keys to Ben. “Besides, if you don’t go today we’ll have to wait for another week and I just can’t do that.” 

Ben pulled Caleb closer and kissed him, letting it deepen slightly before Caleb removed his hands from his hips and led Ben to the door.  
“Now get going before they give Ifor to someone else.” 

Ben smiled and gave Caleb a final peck before heading out the door. 

The drive seemed to last forever. Ben felt a mix of excitement and anxiety, not really knowing where to settle. The traffic was hell, and by the time he reached the kennel he sat in the car for a few minutes just gathering his thoughts. 

“This will all be fine,” he said out loud to himself, before unbuckling his seatbelt and heading up to the house. Carol, the breeder, greeted him at the door. She was a short and light hearted woman who had instantly bonded with Caleb over their mutual love of cheese.

“Welcome back Ben, I hope you are excited about taking your puppy home!” she exclaimed with a sunny smile. Ben felt fidgety but smiled back.  
“Yeah, I’m very excited. I’m sorry Caleb couldn’t come with me today but you know how it is during the tourist season, they need all hands on deck, literally.”

“Aw, that’s too bad, but come in, come in, I’ll get the paperwork and you can go see the puppy.” Carol said, waving her arm to shuffle Ben inside the house. Following her to the pen with all the current puppies, Ben felt his heart grow a little when he saw Ifor. 

“Go on, pick him up, I’ll put all the vaccination information and the rest in a folder for you and you can get on your way, I bet Caleb’s really happy to get the dog home as soon as possible!”

At Carol’s orders Ben went over to Ifor and stretched out a hand.

“Hey Ifor, remember me? Your gonna come home with me today, isn’t that great?” he cooed. Ifor sniffed his hand for a second before licking Ben’s fingers. Ben’s heart melted as he picked him up carefully. 

The puppy was warm and soft, and desperately trying to lick Ben’s ears. He laughed, and tried to calm Ifor down enough to put on the collar Caleb had gotten for him. Ben reached his hand into his pocket and took out the collar, and let Ifor smell it before he gently put it over the dog’s head.

“Now let’s get you home.” he whispered to Ifor.

The entire drive home Ben could hardly focus on the road. Ifor sat in the front seat, in a cardboard box that Ben had buckled down. Every now and again he stretched over a hand to pet Ifor over the head. After about an hour he stopped at a gas station to let the puppy stretch his legs and pee, and to call Caleb.   
“Hi!” he greeted, but was immediately interrupted by Caleb.

“How is he, is he as cute as we imagined, is he good in the car? You aren’t calling me while driving right? Because that is dangerous. I don’t care about you but you have very precious cargo with you.”

“He is doing great, somehow he is even cuter than we imagined, he’s been very good in the car, no problems whatsoever. We are at a gas station so he could pee and I could call you, and wow, you are terribly concerned about our puppy but not about me, thanks, I love you so much.” Ben rattled back when Caleb paused to take a breath.

“You know what I mean, obviously you are replaceable but our puppy isn’t, I love you too. Call me again when you get home?”

“Sure, but aren’t you supposed to be at work? And your boss isn’t a huge fan of personal phone calls during the working hours.”

“I am at work but I explained we are getting our dog today so he lets me take any calls today, and maybe even go home a little bit earlier.”

“Well he must have gotten laid, I’ve never heard him be so nice. But Ifor is just done peeing so we are gonna continue the drive, I’ll send you some pictures and call when we are safely home.”

“Great, tell Ifor I’m gonna be home soon and that I love him.”

“Will do, I’ll see you at home, bye!” 

Ben hung up the call. Ifor was sniffing his shoes. 

“Your other dad told me to tell you that he will meet us at home and that he loves you.” Ben told him, and carried Ifor back to the car. 

Ifor’s first few hours in the apartment were spent exploring the area and going out around the block a few times. 

Coming inside the second time Ben sat down on the living room couch. Ifor immediately tried to join him but the couch was too high. Putting his front paws on the side, he looked at Ben and gave a whine. Ben looked back, trying to stay strong.

“Caleb and I, well mostly I, agreed that the furniture would be a dog-free space. So, no, you have to stay down. Okay?” 

Ifor’s eyes stayed fixed on Ben, pleading. With a sigh Ben slid down on the floor instead. Ifor gladly let himself be picked up, and Ben stroked his small golden head.

“You know you can’t just use your cute to enforce your agenda. It is not democratic, and not the American way, Ifor. The couch is and will remain dog-free but I guess me sitting on the floor is fine. It’s your first day so I’ll cut you some slack. Caleb will be home soon, isn’t that great? He’s so excited about you.”

Ifor yawned and started to close his eyes. In the next second he was fully asleep on Ben’s chest. Ben didn’t dare to move, so not to disturb the puppies sleep. He stroked him softly on the back. Ifor gave no indication of waking up. It had been an overwhelming day for Ben. Having to pick up the puppy alone was not what he would have considered ideal, mostly because Caleb was the one who was really great with dogs, and Ben always felt they worked best as a team. The worry he had felt earlier had mostly be replaced by affection for Ifor, but still there was a part of him that pondered over his abilities to be a responsible dog owner. 

“We’ll figure this out, you and me and Caleb. It’ll go great.” he said, partly to Ifor, but mostly to himself.

It was sitting on the floor, leaning on the couch and pinned beneath the sleeping puppy, where Caleb found Ben when he got home.

“I’m home! Where is that puppy of mine?” he called from the hall, before stepping into the livingroom.

“Shhhh! He’s asleep.” Ben whispered. The sight of Ben on the floor, in a dark blue button-down and a small corgi puppy sleeping on his chest was one of the most beautiful things Caleb had ever seen. Softly he walked over and slid down next to Ben.

“Hi.” he said and gave Ben a quick peck before leaning his head on Ben’s shoulder.

“Hi. He’s pretty darn cute isn’t he. I’m glad we got him.” Ben whispered. He then frowned. “But no matter how cute he looks you are not allowed to let him up on the couch okay?” Caleb smiled and stroked a finger along Ifor’s back.

“I can’t make that kind of promise. As you know I have a soft spot for cute golden haired boys.”


	2. June

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Caleb get a second dog.

The second dog, it wasn’t unplanned, not exactly.

“I can’t believe how big Ifor’s gotten.” Ben said, looking at their not so small puppy. 

Ifor was walking along the path in front of Ben and Caleb. He had grown considerably, but was still a bit scraggly looking, even though he was well over six months old. Everything seemed to fascinate the curious dog, and he kept tugging the leash in Ben’s hand in an attempt to go faster.

“I can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to walk all the way from Chelsea to Central Park, just because, to you, freezing your hands off is a charming way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Caleb said, while digging his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to burrow into his coat. 

“I did tell you to put on a sweater, and maybe bring gloves, but you didn’t. You told me you never got cold.” Ben retaliated with a laugh. He snuck his hand into Caleb’s pocket and intertwined their fingers. Caleb's hand was cold against his glove-warmed one. “Better now?”

“I never get cold,” Caleb replied frostily, using his free hand to pull his beanie down over his ears. “For god’s sake Ben, it’s November, it is not cutesy to let your boyfriend and dog to get hypothermia.”

Ben rolled his eyes.

“Oh come on, look how happy Ifor is! He loves the park!” 

Ifor truly was in his element. Since Ben and Caleb got him he had taken a liking to parks. Especially Washington Square Park and Madison Square Park, both only a short walk away from their apartment. This particular Sunday however, Ben thought a stroll to Central Park would be nice, and had managed to convince Caleb it would be a fun thing to do. 

“He really is. Maybe it’s worth the loss of a toe or two.” Caleb said. Ben gave his hand a squeeze, still tangled in Caleb’s pocket.

“We can take the subway home if it will make you happy,” Ben said with a smile, as he felt Caleb squeeze his hand back.

Back at the apartment Caleb got started on dinner, while Ben continued his efforts to teach Ifor some basic commands. 

“Sit.” he said, with a voice he usually reserved for his students, a certain stern twinge in it. 

Ifor sat down. 

“Good boy! Now down.” 

Ifor just cocked his head in confusion, as if he had never heard the word ‘down’ before (which he had, every time Ben caught Caleb letting him up on the couch).

“Come on Ifor, you did so great yesterday. Caleb!” Ben called out to the kitchen. “How do you always manage to get Ifor to do everything you tell him to?”  
Caleb stuck his head into the living room. 

“He is a dog. It’s not that hard, and besides, shouldn’t you be used to dealing with students who never listen? Thought you had a teaching degree from Yale!”

“Yeah, but sometimes it’s like he knows the command but he chooses to ignore it. He never does that with you?”

“No, not really. Try to be a bit more confident maybe? He’s a puppy and needs the boundaries, but if you don’t set them he’ll just ignore you and everything you stand for. You are so great with him otherwise, trust your abilities.”

Ben sighed. He knew Caleb was right, he needed to be more confident with Ifor. Being a good owner was very important to Ben, but sometimes it felt like no matter how many books he read, or how many episodes of The Dog Whisperer he and Caleb bingewatched on Netflix, he still came up short. 

Thank god we only have one dog, he thought, more than that would be chaos.

A few weeks later, on a Tuesday, Caleb was just about to lock up at the boat house, when his phone rang. Ben’s name popped up on the screen.

“Hello Tallboy, I’m just about to head home!”

“Hi! Okay, I just picked up the dogs, I’m on my way home too.”

“Dogs? As in more than one dog? You didn’t try to steal a dog from the doggy day care, did you?” Caleb joked. 

The line was silent. Caleb didn’t know what to expect.

“Right?” 

“Well, erm… It just sort of happened…” Ben begun. 

“You stole a dog?!” Caleb interrupted. “You can’t steal a dog, that is the worst crime in the history of the world, what the hell?”

“I didn’t steal it! Let’s make that clear. And you know the brown, wavy coated retriever that Ifor likes to play with?”

“Yes...” 

“Well her owners are apparently gonna have a baby soon, and we were picking up our dogs at the same time, and got to talking, and they said they have to sell June, the dog, because the bigger apartment they are moving to is pet-free.” Ben babbled. “So then they asked if we knew anyone looking for a dog, and I said no, and then they asked if we wanted to her..”

“Did you just get us another dog?” Caleb asked almost too calmly.   
Sure he wanted a second dog, but he wasn’t sure their apartment was big enough, or if Ben could handle it.

“They said they had been trying to get some of their friends to take her, because they didn’t want just anyone to have her, and now they are running out of time with the move and everything, and they felt like you and I are so great with Ifor and Ifor really likes June, so that wouldn’t be an issue. I just felt so bad for them, so I said yes on the condition that I would talk to you about it, but then they just lured me to their place to pick up June’s stuff and now I’m on my way home with the dogs.”

“Ben…”

“June is really cute, and well trained, you’ll love her.”

“It’s not about that, you know I think all dogs are the best dogs. It’s just... you. Like are you sure you can handle us having two dogs?” He fiddled with the keys in his hand and sighed. “Can we talk about it when we get home?”

“I’m fine, I can handle it! I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in ten, I’ll see you then.”

Before Caleb had the chance to say anything more Ben had hung up. 

After the phonecall Ben felt bad for being so curt. He knew Caleb meant well and was probably right, two dogs would be a lot of responsibility, but he couldn’t just say no to June’s owners. They seemed so desperate to find a good home for their dog.   
Ben knew from his own love for Ifor he would do almost anything to see Ifor have a good life. It had been impossible to say no. And he knew deep inside Caleb would love another dog. 

It was just the issue of the way he implied Ben couldn’t handle them having two dogs. The discomfort of arguing with Caleb felt like a stone on his stomach. With a dog-leash in each hand and a bag full of dog toys he walked home with heavy feet.

Caleb was waiting for him on the couch when Ben got home. June seemed excited to discover all the new smells in the apartment, while Ifor seemed happy to be home; he ran straight into the livingroom where he greeted Caleb, jumping up on the couch to lick him in the face. Ben stepped into the room with June still on the leash. 

“Hi.” he said.

“Hi.” Caleb replied. The tension in the room was unbearable. “So this is June?”

“Yeah. She’s a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, two years old, vaccinated and neutered,” Ben said, looking down at the dog. “Very friendly and smart. And please get Ifor off of the couch, you know he’s not supposed to be there. ” 

He didn’t want to look Caleb in the eye. Caleb shooed a disappointed Ifor down to the floor.

“Look, Ben, I didn’t mean to imply you can’t take care of Ifor, or that two dogs is too much for you to manage. You are a teacher for god’s sake, you manage others for a living.”

“I’m trying really hard to be the best I can for Ifor, and it isn’t helpful when you start to doubt me.” Ben’s voice was somewhere between hurt and annoyed. 

“I begin to doubt you when you doubt yourself.” 

Caleb got up from the couch and walked over to Ben. The sinking feeling in Ben’s stomach somehow got even deeper. Instead of meeting Caleb, Ben knelt down to take the collar of June so she could explore her new home.

“I don’t doubt myself. Sometimes I just feel like there is more I could do to prepare for things, like with Ifor’s training. I could do more.” He said, hands on his hips, his eyes following the dogs go around the room.

“This is exactly what I mean. You need to be so very prepared for everything, which is really good in most cases but when it comes to dogs, you just have to learn to think on your feet.”Caleb said, running his hands through his hair. “I know you can do it, you just got us a second dog without planning it out for weeks beforehand. You saw what needed to be done and you did it.” 

Caleb reached for Ben’s hand. Ben let his hand be held.

“I couldn’t just leave her. I wanted to help.”

“I know you did, and I love you for it. She’ll fit in here just fine.”

“So we’re good?” Ben said, finally looking at Caleb. He pulled Caleb closer and put his arms around his waist.

“We are always good.” said Caleb tenderly. “And besides I don’t want to fight a custody battle over the dogs with you. The judge will look at your Yale degree and perfect hair, and my record of being a teenage miscreant and side with you without a second thought.”   
Caleb smiled and let his hands get lost somewhere under Ben’s shirt. 

Pressing their foreheads together, Ben let his lips almost touch Caleb’s.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered. Caleb answered by kissing him, replacing the dark pit in Ben’s stomach with a warm glow. 

“I’d do you on the couch right now, but the dogs are watching,” Caleb murmured, breaking the kiss. Ben laughed, but felt a blush on his cheeks.

“The couch is occupied. I told you not to let Ifor there or he’ll learn that it’s okay.” They both looked over at Ifor and Juno sitting on the couch, looking very pleased with themselves.

“You tell them off, I know you have the authority to do it.” Caleb said.

“Fine, fine. Ifor, June.” The dogs turned to Ben’s voice, “Off the couch. Now.” 

A new confidence in his voice made both dogs listen, and they jumped down. They made their way across the room to where Ben and Caleb stood, still embraced.

“We should probably feed them. It’s way past Ifor’s dinnertime.” Caleb said. Ben didn’t want to let go of Caleb but nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we probably should. We can continue this later.”


	3. Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Caleb get a third dog.

The third dog, well, it certainly wasn’t expected.

The alarm clock went off a Friday morning in March. Caleb’s arms tightened around Ben, while Ben turned his face into his pillow.

“Come on, Tallboy, it’s your turn to do the morning walk.” Caleb’s voice was hoarse from sleep. 

“No… are you sure it’s 6.30 already?” Ben let out a muffled groan into his pillow. “I’m just going to close my eyes for five more minutes, okay?”

“Yeah, no, get up, or you’ll be late for work. I’ll get breakfast started while you’re out.”

With a heavy sigh Ben untangled himself from Caleb’s arms, pulled on an old pair of sweatpants and one of Caleb’s baggy sweaters, and called on Ifor and June. The dogs ran over to the door, their enthusiasm a strict contrast to Ben, who was trying to untangle the leashes still half asleep.

Finally managing to get the right collar on the right dog, they headed out. 

“So, do you guys wanna run a marathon, or is the park gonna be enough for you?” Ben asked the dogs. Ifor’s ears peaked when he heard the word park. Ben chuckled at his excitement.

“Sorry buddy, but we don’t have time for a marathon in the morning. The park will have to do.”

Finishing the walk, Ben had managed to wake up a bit more. Having dogs had forced him to get up earlier, which had made him feel slightly more like a human being in the mornings. He took the stairs up to the apartment two steps at a time, knowing the dogs would be hungry. He would also need to shower before work. Ben opened the door, and was greeted by the scent of coffee and Caleb’s humming in the kitchen.

“I’m back!” Ben called, and walked to the kitchen. He sat down at the table where Caleb had already put out a plate with some toast. Caleb looked him up and down twice before he spoke.

“You went outside like that?” 

Ben looked down at the sweater, a relic from the 80´s when it used to belong to Caleb’s uncle, and the sweatpants he now realized were the ones he was supposed to throw in the washer on the account of the huge stain of pasta sauce on the left leg. 

“I mean you usually look so put together even in the mornings. Don’t get me wrong, I love that sweater on you, but your hair? And those pants?” Caleb continued. He put down the food bowls for the dogs, and proceed to pour a cup of coffee for Ben. 

“I didn’t even notice.” Ben gave a sleepy smile. “Who knew having dogs meant you always had to get up at the crack of dawn? And you really like this sweater? Caleb, it’s probably the unsightliest thing you own, and you own three pairs of crocs. Crocs.” 

Caleb sat down opposite Ben with his coffee and toast. 

“If you’d try the Crocs you’d see why I have three pairs of them. They are so comfortable.”

“I’m sure they are, Caleb, I’m sure they are.” Ben replied sardonically.

“Remember, you chose to share your life with me, and by me I mean me, the sweater, and my amazing collection of crocs.” Caleb laughed. Ben only looked mildly amused.

After breakfast Ben cleared the kitchen. June kept looking at him with pleading eyes, waiting for some crumbs to fall of the table so she could lick them up. 

“You just ate, June, and in this house we don’t do second breakfasts.” Ben knelt down to pet the dog. June had become a part of the family, adjusting very quickly to their home. She got along great with Ifor, and, to Ben’s displeasure, had a high interest in jumping up on the furniture. While Ben was petting her, it seemed like the entire dog was jiggling along with the tail.

It was turning out to be a very pleasant day. Ben and Caleb left the apartment at the same time. Ben walked to the school where he taught, and Caleb dropped off the dogs on his way to the subway. At the street crossing where they separated, Ben said his goodbyes to the dogs, and gave Caleb a quick kiss.   
Despite the enjoyable morning, Ben had a nagging feeling something big would happen today.

After work Ben went to pick up the dogs from day care. Caleb came home a few minutes later, and they had dinner together. In the evening they took the dogs for a walk. On the way to Washington Square Park they walked past a stray dog.

“Since we got the dogs I always feel so bad for strays.” Caleb said as they passed the dog. The dog was in relatively good shape, just its white and brown fur looking shaggy from being outdoors. 

“Yeah, me too. Especially with June, since she might have become one of them.” Ben replied. The stray took an interest in Ifor and June. 

“Oh, it’s following us!” Caleb said. 

As they reached the park, Ben pulled out a tennis ball out of his pocket. He threw it for June, who ran to fetch it. Ifor also wanted to join, but with her longer legs June always reached the ball first. 

The stray dog was about June’s size, and it joined the other two in the race for the ball. The first time it did, Ben and Caleb did nothing about it, but on the third throw it reached the ball first and brought it back to Ben, as if it was their dog too.

“Have you ever seen this dog here before?” Caleb asked, as Ben knelt down to get the ball.

“No, have you? It seems so comfortable with people, I bet it has an owner somewhere. No collar though.” Ben replied, throwing the ball once more. This time Ifor caught it first.

“Yeah, I noticed that. Should we just leave it here? It’s gonna be a cold night. I kind of want to take the poor thing home with us.” 

Ben looked at the three dogs returning with the ball. It would be terrible to leave the stray here for the night. Even though it was March, the nights were still quite cold, and who knew how long to the dog had been out already? At the same time it probably was somebody's dog, and it would be found eventually. Ben knelt down again to get the ball from Ifor, and to greet the stray properly. The dog came up to him, sniffed at his hands, then backed away a bit, as if to wait for Ben to throw the ball again.

“I don’t know.” Ben said getting up. “We could take it in for the night maybe? I’m off tomorrow so I can take it to a vet to check for a microchip or something, and call around if someone knows anything about a missing dog.”

Caleb nodded in agreement.

“We can start by asking around here in the park, and then see if it even wants to follow us away from here.”

Throwing the ball a few more times Ben put the leashes on Ifor and June.

“Here, I have some dog treats in my pocket, see if the stray will follow you with the help of them,” he said, handing the small bag of treats to Caleb.

With the help of the treats, the stray follow them, first a bit around the park while they asked people if they knew whose dog it was. Nobody seemed to know anything, so they began to walk home with the stray on their heels.

“He seems to be getting along fine with the others.” Caleb said, as he handed another treat to the stray.

“He? You checked?” Ben asked. 

“Of course I checked! It seemed rude to call him an it.” Caleb retaliated. Ben couldn’t argue with his logic.

When they reached the apartment they decided to keep the stray in the kitchen, since they didn’t know what kind of diseases he carried, and they didn’t want to risk Ifor and June catching anything. Caleb put out some food and water, as well as a few towels for the dog to sleep on.

“I’ll take him to the vet first thing in the morning.” Ben said, closing the door to the kitchen. Ifor and June circled Caleb’s feet, confused over the situation. 

“I know, I know, but we don’t want you guys to catch anything from your new brother. We’ll let you back in the kitchen soon, okay?” Caleb tried to calm them, and leaned down to pet them.

“Are you thinking we’re going to keep him?” Ben asked, a concerned wrinkle forming in his brow. “We can’t have three dogs.”

“Sure we can. Do you really think you could just leave the dog there, at the vet? They would send him to a shelter and he might never get adopted.” 

Caleb knew exactly what to say for Ben to feel like keeping the dog would be the best option. 

“Besides, having three dogs is like just having two, there is not much of a difference. Come on Ben, didn’t you see what a great dog he was? He reminds me of one of the dogs I had growing up.”

“We’ll hear with the vet first, and then make a decision.” Ben took Caleb’s hand and drew him closer. “You should get to bed soon, you’re taking the dogs with you on the boat tomorrow, and you know what a handful those days are.”

Caleb reached his arms around Ben’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

“It’s still early, you know? We don’t have to go to sleep just yet.”

On Saturday morning Caleb got up early to go to work, taking Ifor and June with him. 

“I’m going now, I’ll see you tonight!” he called from the hallway. Ben staggered out of the bedroom, his hair messy from sleep.

“Alright, I’ll call you at lunch and update you on the stray. I love you.” Ben yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“I love you too, bye!” Caleb smiled, and left with the two dogs dancing around his feet, barking excitedly. 

Ben chuckled at the dog's excitement to join Caleb on the boat, and went into the kitchen where the stray was laying on the towels. He got up and strolled over to Ben when he walked in.

“Hey buddy!” Ben greeted, letting the stray sniff his hands. “Did Caleb give you breakfast already? I’m just gonna have some coffee and call the vet and then we’ll get going.”

Caleb had already made coffee for him, and as he poured it he dialed the number to the vet. Over the phone he explained the situation and booked an appointment. 

Wearing one of June’s collars, the stray and Ben left the apartment a few hours later. The vet’s office was a couple of blocks away, and they made their way there in ten minutes. Ben noted that the dog behaved very nicely on the leash, nicer than Ifor for sure. 

He knew Caleb would love to keep the stray. It would make him so happy. 

The vet run all the necessary test, and the stray got a clean bill of health. He didn’t, however, have a microchip.

“We get a lot of stray dogs who don’t have microchips. There is very little we can do to find the rightful owner in those cases.” The vet stroked the matted fur of the dog. “He has no fleas, so it is safe for him to mingle with your other dogs until you decide what to do with him. You might want to take him to a   
groomer though, with half long fur it might be hard to get him properly cleaned at home.”

“I have a feeling we are going to keep him. At least that’s what Caleb wants.” 

Ben looked into the strays eyes. At this point they were both in too deep with this dog to take it to a shelter. Ben reached a hand a petted him over the head. 

“Yeah, we are going to keep him.” 

“That is really great, so many dogs need homes. Do you want him microchipped now, in case he gets lost again?” the vet asked, making a note on her clipboard.

Ben nodded.

“Yeah, and he should probably be updated on his vaccinations, right? And you wouldn’t be able to tell us what breed he is?”

“Sure! I would guess he is a mix of some kind, at least some spaniel, but I can’t tell for certain. He is around four years old, though, that can be seen from the   
teeth.” 

The vet went off to prepare the microchip and the vaccines.

After the vet, Ben called a nearby groomer, and took the dog there to get washed and groomed. It was around Caleb’s lunchtime, so Ben decided to call him.

“Hi! We just left the vet’s, no microchip. He got a clean bill of health, and the vet guessed he would be around four.”

“That sounds great! Are you on your way back home now?” Caleb sounded thrilled.

“No, we’re at a groomer, he needs to get cleaned up a bit. We’ll head home after this.” 

“And? Are we gonna keep him?”

“Yeah,” Ben said smiling”. “We are too involved with this dog, I don’t think we could leave him.” 

On the other end of the line he could hear Caleb tell Ifor and June about their new family member, and then proceeding to shout about it to some of his colleagues.

Ben laughed at Caleb’s excitement. 

“Okay, Caleb, I’m gonna hang up now, I’ll see you when you get home. Think of some good names for him, we can’t keep calling him ‘the stray’ for all   
eternity.” 

“I still think Kaleb, with a k, would be a great name for a dog.”

“Caleb.”

“Fine, I’ll think of some other suggestions. I’ll see you in a few hours!” Caleb concluded.

Ben spent the rest of the day getting a collar and a bed for the stray, and introducing him to the rest of the apartment, making sure not to let him up on the couch. Caleb got home at five with Ifor and June. The dogs raced around the living room with the stray for a while, before they settled in their respective beds. 

While doing the dishes after dinner Ben and Caleb discussed what to name their new dog.

“Still a no for Kaleb?” Caleb asked as he handed a newly washed plate for Ben to dry.

“Over my dead body. What about Apollo? I think it’s a nice name.” Ben dried the plate and put it in the cupboard.

“It’s a boring name. Since you are so against Kaleb, maybe Felix?” Caleb suggested, ”it means lucky in Latin, your nerdiness, and he really is a lucky dog finding a home with us.” 

“Felix. Ifor, and June, and Felix. Yeah, that’ll work.” Ben agreed. “I’m surprised you could come up with that good a name,” he added with a laugh.

“Hey! I come up with a lot of good stuff,” Caleb said, pretending to be offended, and splashed some of the dishwater on Ben’s shirt.

“Caleb, this is a dry clean-only shirt!” Ben exclaimed. He tried to blot out the stain with the dishtowel.

“Oh come on, you might be sweet but you’re not made of sugar. A bit of water won’t melt you, or your shirt.” 

Ben pretended to pout until Caleb gave him a kiss, and they finished up the dishes together.

The rest of the weekend was spent introducing Felix to the family and the neighbourhood. He played well with the other dogs, and seemed to like his new home. On Monday Caleb had a day off, which meant no day care for the dogs. 

When Ben got home from work, he found Caleb taking a nap on the couch, with all three dogs piled on him, all fast asleep.   
Ben rolled his eyes. How many times hadn’t he told Caleb not to let dogs on the furniture. But at some point he had to learn he couldn’t just decide what the dogs would do or where they would do it. With a sigh he realized the couch ban was lost cause. Leaving his coat and bag in the hallway he sat down next to Caleb and the dogs on the couch.

“Hey sleepyhead, I’m home.” 

Ben stroked Caleb’s hair. Caleb woke with a start, looking dazed until his eyes focused on Ben’s.

“Oh, hey, shit, the dogs are on the couch aren’t they, I’ll shoo them down.” Caleb yawned, grabbing the side of the couch to pull himself upward. Ben placed his hand on Caleb’s.

“No, it’s fine. I think I have to admit I lost the war, let them stay. Scoot over a bit so there is room for me as well.” 

Caleb moved over to let Ben join him under the pile of dogs. He pressed a kiss on Ben’s temple. 

“Good thing we finally overthrew your dictatorship.”

Ben flicked his nose playfully, a mischievous smile on his lips. Caleb squealed, but quieted when Ben leaned over to kiss him. 

Caleb broke the kiss sooner than Ben would have liked, and looked into Ben’s eyes.

“No, but really, Ben. I’m so glad you haven’t been so stressed with Felix, and now letting go of your couch rules, I know it’s been harder for you than for me to adjust to a life with the dogs.”

Ben looked down briefly, but then he met Caleb’s eyes again.

“Thank you. It hasn’t been easy for you either, and you know I wouldn’t trade the dogs for anything. Or you.” 

A smile lit Caleb’s face, and spread to Ben’s. Ben snuggled closer to Caleb, as the dogs kept sleeping on top of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The thrilling story is now concluded! Thank you to everyone who has read it and liked it, it's been kinda overwhelming!


End file.
